When I was younger I used to draw and paint all the time. When it came time to apply to college, I had to decide what I wanted to major in and I chose art. I applied to schools with that major in mind and was even accepted at Rhode Island School of Design. Instead, I chose Middlebury College and after two semesters in the art program decided to quit because I didn't like the fact that the critiques were making me lose my love for art. It wasn't that I couldn't handle the criticism, although that is never fun, it's just I found all the analysis and critique was robbing my joy of something I really enjoyed doing. I continued to draw and paint on my own, but life and work seemed to get in the way and it wasn't until recently when I discovered photography and photoshop and collage that my desire to draw returned. I began printing out my digital collages and adding drawings and pastel accents and suddenly I found myself sketching on my i-pad. Recent, I decided to break out some paint and try my hand at it again.
A while back I posted a photo of my pug Alfie hiding among some flowers. I loved the "peekaboo" quality of it and thought it would be a fun subject for an "off-the-cuff" watercolor. Actually I should say gouache. I always end up treating my watercolors like acrylics and piling on a thicker layer of paint because I like the texture. It was fun to use real paint and paper again. There is a different feel from a stylus against a tablet, a different type of energy. I find I enjoy both.